Bottle opening apparatus



June 5, 1962' 'c. MacLAREN I06 IOc INVENTOR COLIN MAC LAREN Unite StatesPatent 3,637,407 BUTTLE OPENENG APPARATUS Colin MacLai-en, 12 WellingtonSt. 8., Hamilton, Ontario, Canada Filed Mar. 31, 1961, Ser. No. 99,838Claims. (Cl. 81-32) This invention relates to an improved apparatus forremoving crown corks from the necks of bottles of the kind commonly usedin the brewing and soft drink industries for the packaging of aeratedbeverages.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive andefiicient apparatus for removing such crown corks, the apparatus beingespecially adaptable for incorporation in a small housing as aself-contained unit, or for incorporation in the body of an automatic ormanual bottle dispensing machines.

Apparatus for this purpose previously has been proposed. However, due toa common fault that a kick is imparted to the bottle as the crown corkis removed, such apparatus has not received commercial acceptance.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus forremoving crown corks from bottles, in which the tendency of the bottleto kick as the crown cork is removed is mitigated.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom a study of the following specification, when taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a cross-sectional side elevation of the apparatus of theinvention;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevation of the apparatus of the invention;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary side elevation corresponding to FIGURE 1, butshowing the parts of the mechanism in the attitude they assume as thecrown cork is being removed from a bottle; and,

FIGURE 4 is a sectional plan taken on the line 44 of FIGURE 1.

The apparatus includes an external casing which conveniently may beformed from sheet metal pressings. The casing 10 provides a stationarystructural member for the support of the various elements of themechanism, and is comprised by a member 16a providing rear and sidewalls, a detachable cover member 1917, a front Wall 10c, and a hingedbottom wall 10d.

Mounted within the casing 11 is a solenoid 13 having an armature 14which is drawn upwardly into the body of the solenoid when the solenoidwinding is energized. The lower end of the armature 14 carries a pin 15which is enlarged at its lower end 15:: and which is surrounded by ahelical spring 16. The pin passes through an arm 17 of a yoke, indicatedgenerally at 18, the pin 15 being freely slidable through an aperture17a of the arm 17.

The arm 17 is an integral part of a bridging portion 19 of the yoke 18,the bridging portion 19 having an edge 19:: (see FIGURES 1 and 3) whichis adapted to engage under a skirt of crown cork 20 attached to a bottle260. At each side of the bridging portion 19 is an arm 21, 22, the arms21, 22 at their free end having a slot 210., 22a through which a pin 23is passed. The pin 23 is fast with a lever 24 which extends between theanns 21, 22.

At its end remote from the arms 21, 22, the lever 24 is mounted forpivotal movement about a shaft 25, the shaft 25 being journalled betweena pair of plates 26, 27 which are supported against movement relativelyto each other, and at its end which lies between the arms 21, 22, thelever 24 is formed as an anvil having its surface presented to the topof the crown cork formed with a convex surface which extendssubstantially diametrically of the crown cork.

The plates 26, 27, at their lower end, are turned towards each other todefine a slot into which the neck of the bottle can be passed, theinturned ends 26a, 27a of the plates 26, 27 engaging the commonlyprovided bulbous portion of the neck, and providing a positive supportfor the bottle.

Pivotally mounted on the front wall is a chute 31 which is biassedoutwardly of the casing by a spring 31. The chute 30 has an outwardlyturned flange 30a at each of its sides. The flanges 30a engage behindthe wall liic to limit the extent to which the chute may be displacedoutwardly of the casing. One of the outwardly turned flanges is alignedwith a switch 31 mounted within the casing, the switch being in theelectrical supply circuit to the solenoid 13.

Mounted on the casing portion 10b is a bifurcated leaf spring 32, for apurpose hereinafter described.

in operation, the neck of a bottle bearing a crown cork is insertedbetween the inwardly turned flanges 26a, 27a, and the bottle is moved ina horizontal direction towards the body of the apparatus. The horizontalmovement of the bottle causes the pivotally mounted chute 30 to bepivoted to the left in FIGURE 1 of the drawings for the outwardly turnedflange of the chute to approach the switch 31.

During this movement, the bifurcated spring 32 is flexed upwardly andrides over the top of the crown cork, the spring 32 subsequentlyclearing the crown cork and returning to its position shown in thedrawings.

The horizontal movement of the bottle causes the crown cork to rideunder the lever 24 for the anvil portoin to lie substantiallydiametrically of the crown cork, and for the skirt of the crown cork tobe engaged over the edge 1% of the bridging portion 19. The position ofthe switch 31 is adjusted so that it will be actuated immediately afterthe skirt of the crown cork has become positioned over the edge 19a.

When the supply of electricity to the solenoid is established, thearmature moves upwardly, and initially a gripping force is applied tothe yoke and lever 24 by compression of the spring 16. During this timethe armature accelerates, and subsequently delivers a cushioned impactto the arm 17.

When the impact is delivered to the arm 17, the anvil portion of thelever 24 is forced into the crown cork to indent it diametrically, andthe skirt of the crown cork subsequently is lifted by the edge 19a ofthe yoke 18 to' stretch the skirt and free it from the neck of thebottle.

At this time the crown cork is loose from the neck of the bottle, but isstill loosely positioned thereon. During removal of the bottle from theapparatus, the skirt of the crown cork is engaged by the arms of thebifurcated spring 32 and is lifted off the neck of the bottle,,thespacing between the arms 32a of the spring 32 being sufficient to permitthe neck of the bottle passed between them, but being insuflicient topermit the skirt of the crown cork to pass between them.

As the bottle is moved out of the apparatus, the chute 30 is biassedtowards its initial position to disestablish the electrical circuit ofthe solenoid 13 and permit the armature 14 to drop under its own weight.At the same time, the arms 32a of the bifurcated spring 32 lift thecrown cork off the neck of the bottle, and permit it to drop into thechute and into the bottom of the casing. The crown corks collectedwithin the casing can be removed at the bottom of the casing by openingthe hinged bottom wall 10b.

The purpose of the slots 21a, 22a of the arms 21, 22 of the yoke is toaccommodate limited movement of the yoke with respect to the lever 24and the pin of the armature, and to accommodate movement of the yokeradially of the vertical axis of the bottle as the skirt of the crowncork is stretched.

It will be observed that during operation of the mechanism, an upwardforce is exerted by the edge 19a, and a corresponding downward force isexerted by the edge of the anvil portion of the lever 24. Thus, there isno force acting to lift the bottle in a manner such as to cause it tokick upwardly. There is a very minor force which tends to swing thebottle about its neck portion, but, due to the inertia of the bottle,that force is largely dampened out.

As readily will be appreciated, the mechanism described above, insteadof being mounted in a casing such as the casing 10 may be mounteddirectly in the body of commonly known automatic or manual bottledispensing machines.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. Apparatus for removing a crown cork from a bottle, including astructural member, a lever pivotally mounted at one of its ends on thestructural member, an anvil carried by the first lever at the other ofits ends and adapted to overlie a crown cork affixed to a bottle, theanvil having a convex surface which extends parallel to the pivotal axisof the lever and which is directed towards the crown cork, the convexsurface extending substantially diametrically of the crown cork, a yokehaving two arms interconnected at one of their ends by a bridgingportion, a pivotal connection between the other ends of the arms and thesaid other end of the first lever, an edge of the yoke adapted to engageunder a skirt of the crown cork, electrically operated means mounted onthe structural member and including a movable member, and a connectionbetween the movable member and the yoke whereby the yoke is raised whenthe electrically operated means is energized.

2. Apparatus for removing a crown cork from a bottle, including astructural member, a first lever pivotally mounted at one of its ends onthe structural member, an anvil carried by the first lever at the otherof its ends and adapted to overlie a crown cork afiixed to a bottle, theanvil having a convex surface which extends parallel to the pivotal axisof the lever and which is directed towards the crown cork, the convexsurface extending substantially diametrically of the crown cork, a yokehaving two arms interconnected at one of their ends by a bridgingportion, a pivotal connection between the other ends of the arms and thesaid other end of the first lever, an edge of the yoke adapted to engageunder a skirt of the crown cork, a solenoid mounted on the structuralmember, a movable armature on the solenoid, a connection between thearmature and the yoke whereby the yoke is raised when the solenoid isenergized.

3. Apparatus for removing a crown cork from a bottle, including astructural member, a first lever pivotally mounted at one of its ends onthe structural member, an anvil carried by the first lever at the otherof its ends and adapted to overlie a crown cork aifixed to a bottle, theanvil having a convex surface which extends parallel to the pivotal axisof the lever and which is directed towards the crown cork, the convexsurface extending substantially diametrically of the crown cork, a yokehaving two arms interconnected at one of their ends by a bridgingportion, a pivotal connection between the other ends of the arms and thesaid other end of the first lever, an edge of the yoke adapted to engageunder a skirt of the crown cork, a solenoid mounted on the structuralmember, a movable armature on the solenoid, and a lost motion connectionbetween the armature and the yoke whereby the yoke is raised when thesolenoid is energized, the lost motion connection between the armatureand the yoke permitting acceleration of the armature prior to theraising of the yoke.

4. Apparatus for removing a crown cork from a bottle, including astructural member, a first lever pivotally mounted at one of its ends onthe structural member, an anvil carried by the first lever at the otherof its ends and adapted to overlie a crown cork applied to a bottle, theanvil having a convex surface which extends parallel to the pivotal axisof the lever and which is directed towards the crown cork. the convexsurface extending substantially diametrically of the crown cork, a yokehaving two arms interconnected at one of their ends by a bridgingportion, a pivotal connection between the other ends of the arms and thesaid other end of the first lever, an edge of the yoke adapted to engageunder a skirt of the crown cork, electrically operated means including amovable member, switch means for establishing a supply of electricity tothe electrically operated means, said switch means being arranged to beoperated by a bottle when the bottle is inserted fully into theapparatus, and a connection between the movable member and the yokewhereby the yoke is raised when the electrically operated means isenergized.

5. Apparatus for removing a crown cork from a bottle, including astructural member, a first lever pivotally mounted at one of its ends onthe structural member, an anvil carried by the first lever at the otherof its ends and adapted to overlie a crown cork afiixed to a bottle, theanvil having a convex surface which extends parallel to the pivotal axisof the lever and which is directed towards the crown cork. the convexsurface extending substantially diametrically of the crown cork, a yokehaving two arms interconnected at one of their ends by a bridgingportion, a pivotal connection between the other ends of the arms and thesaid other end of the first lever, an edge of the yoke adapted to engageengage under a skirt of the crown cork, electrically operated meansincluding a movable member, a connection between the movable member andthe yoke whereby the yoke is raised when the electrically operated meansis energized, and an ejector spring adapted to ride over the crown corkas the bottle is inserted into the apparatus for the spring to engageunder the skirt of the crown cork, the engagement of the spring withsaid skirt acting to withdraw the crown cork from the bottle as thebottle is removed from the apparatus.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,612,065 Packer et al Sept. 30, 1952 2,709,936 Brennan June 7, 19552,732,741 Muller-Strobel Jan. 31, 1956 2,747,443 Vandre May 29, 19562,913,937 Benson Nov. 24, 1959

